SB Nation Detroit - NFL Power Rankings Final: Lions Finishing In Top Tenhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48919/detroit-fave.png2012-01-04T13:07:28-05:00http://detroit.sbnation.com/rss/stream/24435402012-01-04T13:07:28-05:002012-01-04T13:07:28-05:00NFL Power Rankings Final: CBS Sports Drops Lions To No. 9
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<p>Though the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Lions</a> played very well against the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Green Bay Packers</a> on offense, their porous defense in that game has made very few people confident in their chances to win a game in these 2012 NFL Playoffs. An offense, led by <span>Matthew Stafford</span>, that scored all those points against a Packers defense that had a lot of starters playing, is being totally unrecognized due to just how bad that defense has been looking. They're not doing well in any of the final power rankings.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings">CBS Sports</a> drops them one spot in their final power rankings of the season:</p>
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<p><b>9. </b>They made the playoffs, but it looks like a one and done as they head to New Orleans. That defense isn't very good.</p>
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<p>It's great that they're still in top ten, but the confidence in their potential helplessness in New Orleans is unsettling. Also unsettling is the fact that it seems Pete Prisco hesitated to put the Lions above the <a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Houston Texans</a>, a team that lost three-straight down the stretch and could be down to its fourth or fifth quarterbacks by the time they have to play a game.</p>
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.11726707965135574"><i>For more on the Detroit Lions, check out <a href="http://prideofdetroit.com/">Pride of Detroit</a>. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NFL hub at <a href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SBNation.com/NFL</a>.</i></span></p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-lions/2012/1/4/2682088/nfl-power-rankings-final-cbs-sports-detroit-lionsJames Brady2012-01-03T14:16:06-05:002012-01-03T14:16:06-05:00NFL Power Rankings Final: ESPN Drops Lions To No. 8
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> finished their season in a disappointing way, but are in the playoffs regardless and have bigger and better things to worry about. They did perform well against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a>, but losing, once again, to a team that they have a chance to be matched up with in the playoffs is not a good sign. In the weekly power rankings, they're either holding in place or falling after not being able to stop <span>Matt Flynn</span>, the backup quarterback to <span>Aaron Rodgers</span>.</p>
<p><a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings" target="_blank">ESPN</a> has the Lions falling one spot in their weekly power rankings:</p>
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<p><b>8. </b><span>Matthew Stafford</span> has to be Comeback Player of the Year with a 5,038-yard season. (Clayton) </p>
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<p>As Clayton always does, he's neglected to say anything about why they're ranked where they are, but you take the bad with the good. The Lions are dropping due to the reasons above - they weren't able to stop a backup quarterback, leading a team they've now lost to twice this season and can play a third time en route to a potential Super Bowl berth. The rankings reflect that beating one of these teams after losing to them is ... not likely.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-lions/2012/1/3/2679607/nfl-power-rankings-final-espn-detroit-lionsJames Brady2012-01-03T09:48:13-05:002012-01-03T09:48:13-05:00NFL Power Rankings Final: Lions Finish In Top 10
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<p>The Lions dropped two spots in the new NFL power rankings this week.</p> <p>When the season began, many doubted that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> would finish in the playoffs. After an unexpected 10-6 finish that resulted in the first playoff appearance in 12 years, the Lions are indeed in the playoffs. According to SB Nation NFL writer Joel Thorman, the Lions were also a top-10 team in the final <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/1/3/2678767/nfl-power-rankings-2011-12-green-bay-packers-indianapolis-colts">power rankings of the season</a>:</p>
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<p>9. <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Detroit Lions</a> (10-6, LW: 7): The Lions are in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. But they got a tough draw -- at New Orleans. Now's not a good time to be playing the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a>.</p>
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<p>The Lions did drop two spots this week after allowing <span>Matt Flynn</span> to have a career day on them, preventing their first win at Green Bay in 20 years. The draw with the Saints is also not a favorable one after Detroit lost by 14 at the Saints earlier this season.</p>
<p><i>For more on the Detroit Lions, check out <a href="http://prideofdetroit.com/">Pride of Detroit</a>. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NFL hub at <a href="http://sbnation.com/nfl">SBNation.com/NFL</a>.</i></p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-lions/2012/1/3/2678988/nfl-power-rankings-final-lionsTravis Miller